Leftover Signs – CFFC

After two weeks of signs it’s time to dig out some that didn’t make the cut for various reasons. Not all of these are signs in the traditional sense but they do convey information which is the function of a sign. Here we go with this week’s Fun Foto Challenge 😎

Lets start with a bus – RT4442 sits in the yard at Kingston. Retired from passenger duties it is now in use as a driver training vehicle…

…’L Plates’ warn other road users of a learner driver as does the Driver Under Instruction sign in the old destination display. The route details box tells how to hire a bus or coach. The side advert tells any potential bus drivers what number to call to apply.

A wall mural at Welling United FC…

A very different conveyor of information – 2EPB unit 6249 leads a train into Hither Green station…

…The number 14 on the front tells the railway staff that this is a Charing Cross – Orpington via Lewisham service. Regular commuters learnt the numbers code too and knew by the display that this was ‘their train’ 😎

Earls Court station and S7 Stock unit 21381 arriving. Many District Line routes meet here. The station still uses these rather nice information displays – The lighted arrow tells which route the train is running…

…In this case an Ealing Broadway service which is confirmed by the train’s own destination display. There are modern displays further along the platform. TfL did take the old ones out of service in 2022 – which prompted some complaints from passengers. Fortunately it was only temporary as they were being upgraded to work with a new signalling system.

Adverts are there to tell us about a product. Some are honest, many are less so and can sometimes attract the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority. Others choose to poke fun like this Uniroyal advert on Kings Cross station…

Old adverts were painted on the side of buildings – Commonly referred to as ‘Ghost Signs’ they can be found in many cities. This one is in Acton…

…The Mackie’s name at the top belongs to an advert for Mackie’s White Horse Whisky which adorned the building in 1908. That particular blended Scotch Whisky first went on sale circa 1890. The more obvious advert is for Price’s Old English Lavender Soap. This advert almost certainly predates the Mackie’s one – Price started manufacturing soap in 1856. Truly Leftover Signs 😅